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February 2024 by Daigneau R.
The couple of times I've come here, been nothing but astounded at the vast array of books, the care taken in keeping them preserved and in good condition, and the helpfulness of the staff. I have found two Sinclair Lewis novels, a classic historical novel about Edo-era Japan, a '60 retelling of a major murder trial in 1912-1913 New York, and three John Grisham classics, all of which were obtained in good condition and at a quality price. Anyone seeking a new and unique reading experience needs look no further.
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February 2024 by Austin G.
Second Story Books is worth the drive or long Metro ride from Washington, D.C. Housed in a large warehouse within walking distance of the Twinbrook Metro station, Second Story Books houses over 500,000 used books on literally every topic. Want three aisles of kids books like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys? Go here. Need every book C.S. Lewis wrote? Stop by Second Story Books. After visiting nearby ZavaZone with our seven-year-old daughter, we stopped into Second Story for a few minutes, which easily turned into an hour. Every book is 50% off. We left with 15 books for just under $21. The books are well organized and maps help navigate visitors to each section, but know that the warehouse's narrow book aisles can get cramped. It adds to the appeal! There are even harder-to-find rooms with other items like posters for sale. They also sell CDs and DVDs. Staff are helpful. I lost my wallet and within an hour a staff member messaged me on Facebook letting me know they found it and it was safe at the checkout desk. If you have used books, Second Story Books buys them from people.
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December 2023 by John B.
I wasn't overly impressed. The place is very big, especially for a bookstore, but the majority of the selection consists of reference books. It's like a collection of books you needed for college and donated because you'll very likely not need them again. I will say that the selection of military history books is great, though, if that's your thing. I found one science fiction book from an author I like. There are sections for mystery and science fiction so it wasn't a waste of time for me. I'll probably go back when I'm in the area now that I know specifically where to look for books I'd like.
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December 2023 by Cyndy K.
Cyndy's Bottom Line: Books stacked on shelves as far as the eye can see! *Parking up front. *Excellent collection of a vast variety of used books. *Inventory also includes rare books, maps & prints and comics too. *Buys used books *Knowledgeable and helpful staff *Accepts credit cards +Highly recommend
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December 2023 by C. B.
Lots of interesting books can be found here. Lots of stacks so you need a chunk of time because it is a labyrinth in all the best ways. Book pricing is inexpensive to fair. Worth the time if you like books that you can't find on current shelves at the bookstores.
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December 2023 by Nancy Q.
Get ready to get LOST! They have an amazing amount of books! But good luck looking for the one you really, really want because it will take you forever if you don't get help. Bring some water, snack and a folding chair, because you will be spelunking for books. No idea about the value, I was overwhelmed and walked out with nothing. I will definitely be back to give it another go!
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November 2023 by Betty S.
Massive store with the largest inventory of books I've seen outside of The Strand Bookstore in NYC. For its size the inventory is well organized and easy to browse. They even carry foreign language titles! Very nice staff, amazing prices.
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October 2023 by Sam Bartley
Look, I want to like this place. I really do. But it needs to be made clear to everyone visiting here: this place is first and foremost a storage facility. It is not designed for the general public. So if you are hoping for a well organized, neatly shelved, and easy to navigate venue, THIS IS NOT IT. Otherwise, if you are up for a challenging scavenger hunt, this might be the place for you to find some extremely inexpensive and niche books. I bought four books here and it cost me less than $18.Pros: Appraiser on site certain days of the week. Has a huge selection of topics and genres that are not stocked in other bookstores PERIOD. Old and rare books. Lots of out of print items. And they also recently absorbed a large record and tape collection. Card accepted.Cons: Don't come here if you have mobility issues of any kind. This place is completely inaccessible. It's also super overwhelming to look at. If you get overwhelmed at a grocery store this place will send you into a panic. There is no map - only a key that appears to be the first two columns of their inventory spreadsheet. A lot of books are just scattered about and there are several sections that are on the verge of collapse. As in an actual avalanche of books waiting to crash down. So please be careful while navigating and watch your step and you head.
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September 2023 by Elliott P.
Very big, but well organized by subject. It's a very large collection of books. There's not one bookshelf for, say, "Cooking," there is one just for "French Cooking." Staff was friendly. The warehouse is full and somewhat overwhelming, so go when you have an hour or two to shop around.
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August 2023 by gabriele
Such a great find! I was visiting the area and was glad I found this hidden gem. Loads of books ranging from fiction, science, religion, arts, and so much more. Found 4 books and paid $10!
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July 2023 by De Anna
Second Story Books is book heaven for us book lovers. If you love books, don't mind that they're second had, and love getting lost in book stores; this is the place to spend a few hours. I wanted to buy most of what I saw, was impressed by the diverse amount of genres and topics available and had a difficult time deciding on which book(s) to purchase. Everyone I encountered was courteous. I will be sure to stop by again and again.
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July 2023 by Hannah
Bizarre and unnecessarily unpleasant/hostile interaction with the book buyer, Dylan. After receiving a quote for a small collection of books, I decided I wanted a few books removed from the collection, and I asked what the quote would be if they were returned to me. I was told such a thing wasn't done, not possible, he had already put in the labor to evaluate the books as a collection and gave the impression that there was no method to his appraisal process that would allow for a new calculation to be made if these books were removed. Truly bizarre, considering that as I look at the invoice, he's listed the titles he deemed to be of any significant value, with a sales price, which I would receive a fraction of, and then some chicken scratch calculation that works out to pennies per book for the rest of the collection. The titles I wanted removed were not listed as items of value. Why not knock a few dollars off the quote, set aside the books I'd like to keep, and end the transaction? Simple. All I wanted.Thrown by how my request was perceived as abnormal, and disliking confrontation, I stumbled over the titles I wanted to keep (but I did say them, and the author, and in fact the main title in question was even in writing in an email I'd sent when I first asked about an appraisal). He made a comment suggesting that because I couldn't even remember the titles, my request shouldn't be honored. Really strange, uncomfortable.I know that this is a massive, busy warehouse going through thousands of books a day. I know that most books are of little value, and my few boxes are a drop in the bucket of what they sift through. I didn't have a problem with parting with my books for pennies. I just wanted a few returned to me. I ended up negotiating against myself just to get off the phone with the man. He came off as hostile and untrustworthy.Front staff was nice, the guy at the front desk was helpful and patient, eventually finding the book from my collection that I wanted returned (Dylan had not set it aside, despite it being the title I had repeated twice). Glad to finally leave the place and not return.
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July 2023 by Tracy W.
very cool used bookstore. Legit. Apparently there are multiple locations. I visited the one downtown, but I'm told that the one in Rockville is bigger.
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May 2023 by Margo C.
My favorite used bookstore of all time! I never leave without a great find (usually way too many), and they always have something interesting at the front...this past holiday I was super excited to buy a couple of "reading" chicken calendars (with a photo of a chicken reading a book each month--how cute is that?!)....today I picked up a free book bag since we spent over $50 (it was $15 if you spent less). The store is basically a huge (library-esque) warehouse packed with shelves and shelves of books, organized roughly by subject matter. There really aren't any places to sit and read (although there are a few folding chairs scattered around and nooks where you could sit for a bit) but there are just too, too many books to have any spare space--books are just everywhere, which can be a little overwhelming at tines (I have often gotten a little dizzy trying to look through all the DVDs as fast as possible). Near the section where all the DVDs and CDs are (in the back near the restrooms--Blu-rays are on a separate shelf near the register), there is a good selection of music books and sheet music, where I've made many interesting finds (mostly for piano and violin). Walking down the aisle away from the restrooms you'll see the vast collections of nonfiction--all kinds of history, art books, biographies, criticism, special interests, etc--and, of course, fiction. Near the front are the huge assortment of children's books and cookbooks. Not to overwhelm but there are two additional rooms, one on each end of the main space, with even more books...Sometimes I have not been able to find the occasional classic, which has been a little odd (but not an issue as it is always the type that can be picked up inexpensively elsewhere--likely too it would've shown up here eventually). On the other hand I've made so many unique hard-to-find discoveries at this store, it's like being on a treasure hunt--this is definitely the kind of place for those who take their love of reading and books to another level!
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May 2023 by Twain Brown
Was checking times to see when my favorite bookstore opens and read some of the reviews and was honestly a little angered by the negative reviews.1. This place is NOT expensive. I have no idea how to tell how much a book costs here before buying ? but all the paper back fiction I buy here averages about $3-5 a book.2. It’s a GIGANTIC used book store with a revolving/evolving supply of titles. I don’t know how one could stay on top of organizing this volume of books, in a way accessible to the public in a way better than this honestly. The authors are all in alphabetical order. The sections can be difficult to decipher if you were looking for a 16th century Japanese 1st edition cookbook for instance. But, interestingly I have found that if you take the time to speak to an actual human being, those present at this store seem to be pleasant and helpful.Somehow this gigantic warehouse of books manages to achieve an almost quaint quality and I am so glad something like this exists in our area—I don’t know that I would read as much if it didn’t.
